Christmas market season is the most magical time of year here in Germany. With everyone snapping away, hoping for the best photos to showcase their market experience, I am sharing some helpful tips for elevating your Christmas market photos.

Preparation

1) Bring extra batteries. The cold will drain your batteries quicker than usual (especially if you are also shooting video), so come prepared with extras.

2) Prepare for the elements. If you plan to visit for any duration, you will more than likely encounter rain on one of your market days. On heavy rain days, I will bring a cover for my camera bag and wear my cameras underneath my rain jacket/outer layer. I would highly recommend a poncho or rain jacket instead of an umbrella so your hands are free to photograph.

3) Invest in gloves for shooting. I use these from Amazon, and I can pop out my finger as needed to adjust my settings. They are also thin enough that I can throw a larger pair of gloves over them in really cold conditions.

4) If you have it, I recommend a lens like 24-70 for most images, and a longer prime, such as 85 or 135, for making details stand out.

Photographing

1) Set the scene. Showcase a broad look at the market, the stalls, the people walking around, and the background. Is the market in front of an old cathedral or timber homes? If it's busy, this is another time to play with slower shutter speeds to show a sense of movement among the crowds.

2) Take close-ups of unique stall décor or decorations that catch your eye. This where is where the long prime lens comes in clutch. I love to photograph booths with handmade ornaments and have collected quite a few from my market visits.

3) Food is a major component of the markets. Showcase your food selections and the vendors serving popular market dishes.

4) Mugs. Each market has its own unique mug that is highly coveted by some. Let's see that steaming cup of hot chocolate or glühwein in the market's mug of the year.

5) Capture kid's joy on the rides. I don't know about you, but my children, ages 3 and 2, think it's a game to run away from my camera. My favorite way to capture them at this stage of life is through candids, and I get the best expressions of them on the rides at the markets.

If you are struggling to freeze the motion of the rides, make sure your shutter speed is fast enough. I recommend at least 1/1000 for the quicker-moving rides.

6) Photograph the lights. At night is when the markets really come alive. The lights are magical but can also be tricky to photograph for some. Adjust your shutter speed if you get black lines on the sides of your images (for my mirrorless shooters), especially when photographing stalls in the evening. This banding occurs when the frequency of the lights interferes with the electronic shutter's reading speed. Because my Sony A1 can photograph up to 30 frames per second, I can typically shoot a rapid burst of images and catch a frame or two without this issue. You can also turn off your electronic shutter and switch to the mechanical shutter to see if this helps.

For video, to eliminate the flickering of the lights in your videos, you will also have to adjust your shutter speed. I have found that 1/125 or below is the sweet spot for eliminating the flicker of the market lights. I am not a video expert; I am just sharing what has worked for me.

7) Showcase market vendors. Photograph the vendors in that stand out to you!

8) Capture candids of people browsing the booths. I try to photograph them with their faces somewhat hidden, but that’s not always possible. Seeing an image of someone browsing a stall allows the viewer to imagine themselves at that market browsing, especially when there is not a face predominately showcased.

9) Photograph the performers. At many of the markets there is a stage with scheduled entertainers throughout the day. Whether it’s a magic show for the kids or a band playing holiday favorites, don’t forget to photograph their performance!

*Juggler at the Esslingen Christmas & Medieval Market*

I love photographing Christmas markets, and with each market, I try to embrace the challenge of photographing something new. I hope these tips help improve your Christmas market photos and get you excited to visit your next market. If you have any questions, I am always available by email; feel free to reach out!

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